need some help making choices

[TinyTimneh]

hey all,

i've decided to add the fourth and final member of my flock (up until my retirement of course, but by then the tiel and linnie will be long dead and the TAG aging and i can finally enterntain my dream of one of the big parrots... like a hyacinth macaw )

it won't be 'till this summer-ish but i'd like to do some research and renovations and purchases and decide beforehand.

here are my choices: a 3-yr old white-front amazon from a local pet store who actually really likes me and who i feel bad for, but she bites and screams

OR i've contated a CAG breeder in my area and could await a baby grey.

i'm stuck...

on one hand a amazon is more resilient (already having a plucking bird makes me a bit wary... i really don't want to deal with two)and maybe being a south american bird will integrate more readily with my multi-species flock. also, i have had a tremendous success with older birds, and 2/3 of my flock were older when i acquired them. also, she is practically the same size as my TAG (another issue i don't want to put myself in yet again, dealing with two drastically different sized birds, just too much danger). BUT she screams... and the last thing I want is all three screaming. I'm also not sure i'm 'amazon' enough... they're a bit feistier than what i'm used to.

conversely, i really want to experience raising a baby grey, and i do love greys (obviously, who wouldn't? ) and also... i'll admit that the prospect of maybe having a good talker... but i know they're sensitive and i don't want to mess up. also, i don't want to have a bird too much bigger than my TAG...

what do you guys think?

[kittykittykitty]

Sorry, no advice. As a person owned by a CAG I'm very prejudiced.:silly:

[BaxtersMom]

I'm sure what ever you chose will end up being the right one. It's funny how all these wonderful creatures end up being the perfect ones for us. I didn't know exactly what kind of bird I wanted. I got interested when I seen some sun conures in a pet shop. I checked online and found a pair that needed new homes. For what ever reason I could not get an appointment set up and looked online some more. I found a 12 year old CAG, made the call, left within 15 minutes and an hour later I was home with an amazing parrot.

A month later my neighbor brought over a nanday conure. Tried to find the owners but unsuccessful, so then I had my conure.

After Baxter my CAG I knew I would end up with another parrot and found a gorgeous male eclectus and added him to my flock.

All three are different sizes, the conure being the smallest but I can not keep him away from or out of Baxters cage it seems.:laugh: They are buddies now.

My eclectus does not seem to care for either of the other 2 or want to be friends with them but they all talk amongst themselves all day long and I believe they encourage eachother too because when one gets going they all get going. Luckily, none of them are very loud and I enjoy every word and noise they make. It's like therapy to me.

They all have their cages open during the day unless I am gone and they are all the perfect birds for me and live in harmony together.

I had no plan on which birds to get. They all kind of found me it seems.

 

I do find it funny though that the conure is suppose to be the loudest and he is not. The eclectus is suppose to be the quietest and he talks all day long and can let out the loudest yell ever. I guess my birds didn't read the same books that I did;)

[Tycos_mom]

I have an Amazon and a Grey both were rescues. My Amazon also screams but only for about 5 minutes in the morning or when I'm on tne phone, or if someone is yelling at someone else in an angry tone of voice. She is such a wonderful bird and Tyco my Cag has never copied her screaming. My Amazon is very cuddley and just oves affection un like my Grey She also is a very good talker and speaks in context allot of the time. She is way more sensitve about being left at home alone when I'm getting ready to go out she makes me feel very guilty about it. She will sit there and say no don't go its not fair over and over. I love her and my Grey very much they are very different in their personalitys but I wouldn't want them any other way. They are perfect just the way they are. Also because they are basicly the same size they have become friends with each other so when I do have to go out I knoow that at least they will have each other to talk too. I can't tell you what you should do but I just wanted to let you know that haveing an Amazon and a Grey can be very rewarding and you get to appreciate the differences in the 2 birds.

[Carolyn]

I am having the most incredible time raising my baby grey, I made this choice to get a baby both with my head and my heart.

He and I are starting this journey together and will learn over time, and also learn by our mistakes together but I would have it no other way.

My hat goes off to all that have rescued or taken on re-homed greys, you all are truly amazing people.

But raising a grey from a baby is very special for me.

 

Carolyn & Mika

[TinyTimneh]

all right then, here's an update:

the breeder hasn't gotten back to me, becuz ironically once he actually had babies available a while back I wasn't able to take one. Now that I am, he hasn't returned any of my e-mails. Soooo I believe that counts out the baby grey. Ah well.

So it looks pretty good for the lil amazon right now. can anyone think of another bird that's similarly sized ro a TAG that I could look into if she's already been purchased by the time I have the means to go get her?